Biomineralization has recently emerged as a highly effective strategy for enzyme immobilization. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), a subclass of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), are particularly attractive carriers due to their structural tunability and chemical stability. While ZIF-8 has been extensively studied, its denser and thermodynamically more stable analog ZIF-zni has received far less attention. In this work, we report the biomineralization of glucose oxidase (GOx) from Aspergillus niger within the ZIF-zni framework and systematically investigate the influence of zinc and imidazole (Im) concentration on immobilization performance. The optimized biocomposite, obtained at 10 mM Zn²⁺ and a Zn:Im ratio of 1:10, exhibited a specific activity of 2051 IU g⁻¹, which is more than twice the activity obtained for GOx@ZIF-8 in our previous study (874 IU g⁻¹). Furthermore, the GOx@ZIF-zni biocomposite demonstrated remarkable resistance to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and retained up to 50% of its activity after incubation at 65 °C for one hour. These results demonstrate that ZIF-zni is a highly promising carrier for enzyme immobilization and suggest that framework topology and synthesis conditions play a crucial role in determining the catalytic performance and stability of enzyme@MOF biocomposites.

The integration of salt removal and structural consolidation remains a major challenge in heritage brick conservation. This research proposes a preliminary experimental setup for a dual-function microbial strategy using a single bacterium, Stutzerimonas stutzeri D1, capable of sequential denitrification (biocleaning) and ureolysis-driven microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (biocementation). After the pre-check assessment, which compared standalone, simultaneous, and sequential metabolic configurations, sequential denitrification followed by ureolysis (A→B) optimized functional compatibility, achieving 90.1% nitrate removal within 48 h and the highest precipitation rate during the biocementation phase. Application on authentic demolition waste (solid fired-clay brick specimens) demonstrated highly efficient nitrate reduction, alkalization (from pH value of 6.4 to 9.12), surface mineral deposition confirmed by visual inspection, SEM imaging, and XRD analysis. Furthermore, reduced water absorption (by 30%) and improved compressive strength (by 25%) for only 72 h of this dual treatment indicate a promising and holistic approach in the field of construction biotechnology of heritage brick conservation. These pioneer findings demonstrate that metabolic sequencing governs compatibility in dual-function bacterial systems and validate a sustainable, single-strain platform for combined biocleaning and biocementation of historic brick masonry structures.

The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.) is recognised as one of the most polyphagous and extremely destructive pests of stored cereal grains worldwide. It develops under a wide range of environmental conditions, however, there have been some indications about alterations in specimen morphology when observed across populations originating from different commodities. While responses to different stressors have mainly been evaluated using survival, progeny production, and developmental time, body size as an indicator of developmental stress has received limited attention. This study investigated whether centroid size (CS), assessed through geometric morphometrics, reflects the influence of hosts changes, i.e whether these responses are associated with seed traits. A parental population reared on wheat was transferred to maize and sorghum, and progeny production and body size were analysed. Adults from maize were statistically significantly smaller than those from wheat, despite similar progeny production. Sorghum significantly reduced progeny production but did not significantly affect body size. Phenotypic variability in CS was the highest in the maize population. According to two-block Partial Least Squares analysis, larger body size was associated with higher protein content, while seed hardness and increased total phenolic contents, including flavonoids and tannins, were linked to reduced CS. These results indicate that body size must be measured as an indicator of developmental responses. Also, our study suggests the importance of integrating complementary biological parameters to provide a more comprehensive understanding of developmental responses to host shifts and other stressors, and helps to identify host characteristics associated with insect performance.

This study investigated the biostimulant potential of endo- and exo-polysaccharides (PSHs) obtained from two Schizophyllum commune strains originating from Italy (ITA) and Serbia (SRB), with a primary focus on their ability to modulate the antioxidant defense and biochemical responses of Pisum sativum L. seedlings under optimal and drought conditions. The PSH fractions were structurally characterized by complementary spectroscopic and microscopic approaches, revealing strain- and drying-dependent differences in their structural features. The characterized PSHs were subsequently applied as seed biopriming agents, and pea seedlings were grown under two conditions: optimal growth and drought stress. Their effects were evaluated by analyzing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant responses, together with selected physiological and biochemical traits. Among the tested treatments, exo-PSHs differentially modulated antioxidant enzymes, with SRB primarily enhancing peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase and ITA increasing ascorbate peroxidase and catalase activity. SRB PSHs, particularly exo-PSH, showed the most pronounced effects on antioxidant-related responses, enhancing ABTS scavenging activity and altering DPPH capacity by approximately 35% compared with the control. In addition, endo-PSH from the ITA strain increased chlorophyll content by 26.12% and proline levels by 1.5-fold, indicating a distinct strain-dependent effect on plant physiological responses, particularly under stress conditions. LC–MS/MS profiling of plant MeOH extracts revealed a diverse range of secondary metabolites, including phenolic compounds, e.g., liquiritigenin, ferulic, and protocatechuic acids, which may contribute to the observed antioxidant responses. Multivariate analysis further supported clear biochemical differentiation among PSH treatments and growth conditions, confirming that the responses were dependent on both PSH origin and environmental conditions. Overall, these findings demonstrate that structurally distinct S. commune PSHs can differentially modulate antioxidant defense and key biochemical traits in pea seedlings, supporting their potential as sustainable fungus-derived biostimulants for enhancing plant resilience under both optimal and drought conditions.